On Aug. 8, Dreams on Fire made its North American debut at the 25th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival. Written, directed, and produced by Montreal-born filmmaker Philippe McKie, the film follows Yume’s (Bambi Naka) pursuit of fame as she moves to Tokyo to become a dancer. There, she grapples with the crushing disappointment of failure, the relentlessness of the hustle, and eventually, the euphoria of making it in the big city.

The screening took place at the Cinema du Musée, in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, to a sold-out audience packed with Fantasia newbies and veterans alike. The energy of the crowd was unlike the rowdiness of festivals past; instead, there was a sense of reverent appreciation for the event’s return to in-person showings.

From its very first frame, Dreams on Fire establishes dance as its lifeblood—and also as Yume’s sole focus in life. Haunted by the family she left behind in the countryside, she launches herself into the gritty, electrifying world of urban dance, taking lessons when she can and working a string of exploitative jobs to support herself. Although Yume’s performances are stunning, the audience quickly realizes that she is but a tiny fish in a massive pond—her competitors are  at the top of their game. Their skills aren’t just for show, either; McKie insisted on only casting professional dancers for dance roles in the film. 

“Picking actors versus picking dancers, there is a gamble either way,” McKie said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “My gamble is, can they act? I am gambling on a lot, but at least the dance is going to be sick. This is the first-ever Japanese urban dance film, so nothing else matters.”

Yume delves into many different underground scenes in Tokyo, as she finds work at a hostess club and a BDSM-themed bar, visits drag shows, and tries to land a gig as a go-go dancer. The young performer faces exploitative bosses, predatory customers, and poverty. Her misfortune would feel relentless if it were not for the acts of kindness carried out by the women in the film. Dreams on Fire does not waste time on romantic subplots: Instead, it foregrounds female friendships. Yume’s bond with seamstress Chocho (Medusa Lee) reminds viewers that in the cut-throat Tokyo underground, knowing the right people is a survival mechanism in itself. 

“It was important to me that there would not be romance,” McKie said. “I’m tired of being force-fed those narratives in film. When you are hustling, sometimes there is no time for anything else. [There is] survival, and then the dream.”

As the camera follows Yume’s claustrophobic journey through Tokyo’s crowded streets and the tiny net cafe she lives in, the audience longs for her to spread her wings. Although viewers are treated to Yume’s spellbinding dance performances, recognition seems to escape her at every audition and competition. 

The film is achingly effective at portraying the pain of rejection. However, McKie prefers the term “failing forward” to describe Yume’s story: At every misstep or letdown, she forms a connection that leads her to another opportunity. 

“A lot of what the character goes through mirrors my own experiences,” McKie said, laughing. “The way that she does not let herself get destroyed, and keeps going, is kind of like my philosophy on life. In cinema, especially coming out of Hollywood, there are so many stories where there is one big challenge and the next time you win, but I don’t think that is representative of reality.”

McKie, who attended film school at Concordia but moved to Japan to embark on this ten-year-long project, hopes to expose Quebecers to the dynamism of Japanese cinema and to strike a balance between intrigue and authenticity. With Dreams on Fire, audiences cannot help but be captivated. 

The film will be streaming on the Fantasia Festival website until August 25.